Replacing Hot Stamped, Boron, And DP1000 With “Room Temperature Formable” Flash® Bainite 1500

Flash® Bainite Processing employs rapid thermal cycling (<10s) to strengthen COTS steel sheet, plate, and tubing into AHSS.  In a continuous process, induction technology heats a narrow segment of the cross section in just seconds to atypically high temperatures (1000-1300°C).  Quenching substantially immediately follows.

Flash® Processing utilizes inherent heterogeneity of steel creating multi-chemistry, complex mixtures of 20% bainite and 80% martensite.  Carbide dissolution and carbon migration are controlled by limiting time in the austenite temperature range.  Unlike conventional heat treating, homogeneity is intentionally avoided and non-equilibrium conditions are created.  The leanest prior ferritic regions transform to bainite while prior pearlite forms martensite.  A 7-10% higher yield/tensile strength product results with the beneficial ductility of the bainite constituent.

Flashed AISI1010 (1100MPa UTS) and AISI1020 (1500MPa UTS) have shown exceptional room temperature stamp-ability to 0T/1T bend radii.

The 1500MPa formability of 3G-AHSS is achievable.  Flash® Bainite offers simultaneous weight and cost savings